CHENNAI: A serial chain snatcher’s run came to an end after he was caught while attempting to snatch a gold chain from a 60-year-old woman near Ashok Nagar on Tuesday evening. A probe showed that the accused, R Raja Prabhu (30) of Kodambakkam was also involved in the knife-point robbery of the wife of late comedian, ‘Pakoda’ Khader at her residence in MGR Nagar two months ago.
On October 20, Raja Prabhu along with his accomplice had posed as staff of the newly elected Nadigar Sangam and conned Khader’s widow, K Mumtaz. They entered her house on Ponmani Chemmal Street, MGR Nagar convicing her they were sent by the Nadigar Sangam to record grievances of kin of veteran actors.
As soon as they entered, they held the woman at knifepoint and forced her to hand over her five sovereign gold chain. “They then locked her inside a room and fled,” police said.
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday evening arrested Raja Prabhu after he attempted to rob the chain, S Pushpa. A resident of Postal colony in West Mambalam, Pushpa was walking to her relative’s house around 1 pm when the bid was made.
Locals caught the man and handed him over to police. He was remanded.